Calder Solutions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of brand management at The Stowe Company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Calder Solutions?

We needed software development support for an AR headset. We had already developed the software, but we hit a hurdle we couldn’t overcome on our own. We reached out to Calder Solutions to see if they could step in and help us complete the project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Calder Solutions inherited our existing work and helped us complete the project. We first had a discovery call with Calder Solutions' founder and a few teammates. The team developed the software for the Meta Quest 3 headset.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three key teammates from Calder Solutions, including Justin, James, and the director of global operations.

How did you come to work with Calder Solutions?

I met Calder Solutions at a networking event. I chose them because they had a small and nimble team and could provide a quick turnaround. I emailed Calder Solutions and asked if they could support us. I got a reply within 30 minutes, and they jumped on a call with us that same day.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in October 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Calder Solutions helped us get this project to the finish line thanks to their expertise. On October 30, 2024, we had over 100 people use the headset at a live demo event. Calder Solutions’ work saved us a lot of time. If we had tried to figure out the issue ourselves, it would have taken us weeks to finish. The team jumped in and helped us do it in less than a couple of weeks. The quality of Calder Solutions' work was very high and met my expectations.

How did Calder Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Calder Solutions set good expectations upfront and checked in with us every daily let us know how they were doing. We communicated via email and Zoom and in-person meetings.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to give a shout-out to Justin.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Calder Solutions worked very fast. The team stepped in and helped us greatly in a very tight timeframe.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything the team could improve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing manager at a yacht company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Calder Solutions?

Calder Solutions helped us re-platform and rebuild our website from the ground up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our website was on Magento 2, which was no longer a supported platform. We experienced increased security risks, so Calder Solutions moved our website to Payload CMS. 

From there, the team implemented the design work and offered recommendations and best practices for our website. We had meetings to review what was on the website, and Calder Solutions’ design team reviewed it and gave us suggestions.

They then put together wireframes on Figma that included the new designs we implemented for mobile devices. We met weekly — sometimes biweekly — to review the designs and give our input. They made adjustments, and once the wireframes were approved, they began developing the pages. Most of their tasks were ensuring everything was optimized and following best practices.

At present, we have an ongoing maintenance engagement with Calder Solutions.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with around eight teammates from Calder Solutions. The two main developers are James (VP Technology) and Brett (Senior Developer). We’ve also worked with Emily (UX/UI Designer), who handles the Figma wireframes. Laura (VP Design) has consulted on the designs, and Khrystyna (Director Global Operations) is our project manager. A few others have been on calls with us, although they’re not necessarily involved in the daily work. These teammates include Justin (CEO). 

How did you come to work with Calder Solutions?

Calder Solutions already worked with our internal IT department on some unrelated projects. As we were vetting new platforms, we consulted with our IT team, and they suggested we reach out to Calder Solutions. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $200,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in April 2024, and the site was launched in August 2024. However, the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The website has only been launched recently, so we don’t have any analytics or data to measure success. However, the time and resources we’ll spend on maintaining our website will be an improvement from before. Everything is easier and more intuitive now, and processes are more streamlined. 

How did Calder Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Calder Solutions often beats deadlines. In terms of tools, we typically use ClickUp for project management. I can also shoot them an email when something urgent pops up.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Brett is a rockstar. While the entire team has been amazing, I’ve worked with Brett the most, and he’s been incredible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everything has been easy. They know how to anticipate things and have been a truly valuable partner for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hire them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of sales for Voyager Dog Food Company. I handle all our sales and marketing, trade show events, and kennel relationships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Calder Solutions?

We had a website that didn’t work very well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially hired Calder Solutions to redo our website. They completely reconstructed our site, using Figma for the design. 

First, we told them about our company, our history, why we do what we do, and that kind of background for the brand. They took over the website when we were rebranding, so we explained what our company stood and looked like before and how we were trying to mold it into Voyager Dog Food Company.

We’re currently using them for marketing purposes.

What is the team composition?

Teammates have varied throughout the project. We’ve worked with 3–7 people at a time.

How did you come to work with Calder Solutions?

They were a recommendation from my mom’s business.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2022. We still work with John quite a bit, and my coworker works with James sometimes. Additionally, I work with Kaylee because she does our emails.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Calder Solutions meets expectations; they’re very thorough and fast. Moreover, they meet the deadlines and are good at getting us involved with everything, ensuring we know the schedule. Overall, the project might take a few rounds of revision to reach the point we’re looking for, but Calder Solutions makes it happen.

How did Calder Solutions perform from a project management standpoint?

We went over budget because we didn’t anticipate going with a custom CMS. We didn’t expect to go that far, but all the revisions went a little over budget, especially because we wanted to ensure the design was true to what we wanted.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Kaylee (UI/UX Designer) is wonderful at handling the design and changing anything we want to change. John (President) is crucial in everything he does; he’s still vital to this day. He helps us with a lot of the marketing guidance we need. Finally, James (VP of Technology) helps us with many technical errors; he’s fantastic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re easy to work and communicate with; they get back to us right away when they say they will.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Calder Solutions is a wonderful company to work with, but they could be more transparent with the design changes and how much they’ll cost down the line.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend going for it. They’re wonderful people who present excellent work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Director of Digital Transformation of a health insurance provider

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Health insurance provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Calder Solutions to accomplish?

• UX/UI strategy for customer facing health insurance app
• Solidify the foundation of backend platforms
• Technical strategy to build for speed to delivery

SOLUTION

How did you find Calder Solutions?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Calder Solutions over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Calder Solutions were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We were in a position where the login and various different aspects of the UI of the Member Portal were challenging for members to overcome and access their personalized health insurance information. Calder came in first to organize and gather information to help identify the issues. 

They performed a full UI / UX analysis of the tool, our processes and provided both a customized recommendation and action plan they were able to support and implement. Additionally, a deep technical architecture analysis was done on the backend systems that power the experience, where much work was identified to improve speed of the application, speed to delivery, and monitoring.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We, at the end of the project, were positioned to request a new refreshed star rating with IOS, which for us was MAJOR as the new, improved application was not reflected in the historical star rating. We saw a decrease in customer service calls related to technical challenges with the application (reduction ~10K in claims categories, ~20K in login).

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The Calder UX & Technical directors were pivotal in the management and doing of the work on a daily basis. They both assisted in this multi-team project by managing their own teams without a need for me to produce a project manager. They reported status, progress, issues, and updates to my multiple product owners (one managing issue backlogs and the other managing UX/UI improvement backlogs). 

Given all the hands within the project, it was extremely advantageous to have such organized, precise, and professional team from Calder handle critical aspects of the program with little direction support needed. Kudos, well done, much appreciated.

What was your primary form of communication with Calder Solutions?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The strength from both the UX/UI design and technical sides of Calder Solutions is extremely impressive. It is incredibly advantageous to find a partner who can provide leadership, strategy, implementation support from start to finish on all aspects both user experience and technical.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Calder Solutions could have done differently?

No improvement recommended. Successful project all the way around.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Professional Apparel Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

On-line retailer of medical uniforms

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Calder Solutions to accomplish?

• Build a custom website
• Integrate to a new ERP system
• Create a quality customer experience and improve efficiency

SOLUTION

How did you find Calder Solutions?

Referral

Why did you select Calder Solutions over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Calder Solutions were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Developed a complete custom website specifically designed for our business that included special features to accommodate customers who can customize products with embroidery. Integrated with a new ERP system that offered live inventory updates to our customers at the time of ordering. Helped us design and implement special search features and ordering options for large group orders. A completely new and fresh look.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Weekly meetings and updates as the project moved forward. Excellent communication, suggestions, and solutions were always offered. They researched appropriate applications that we would need including Klavyio for emails, Strapi for back end product and page management, ShipStation for order processing.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Our custom web build was extremely complex and they educated themselves extensively on our business procedures to program exactly what we needed. The project was timely and complete. Concerns, questions, and information were always discussed at our weekly updates.

What was your primary form of communication with Calder Solutions?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We were impressed by their willingness to get it right and great communication.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Calder Solutions could have done differently?

We had such a great experience that it is hard to think of any negatives. They continue to support us after the launch as small things arise. I would rate 10 out of 10

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I'm an executive at Ukrainian Society of Michigan

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a charity nonprofit that helps refugees and immigrants from Ukraine.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Calder to accomplish?

• Create an MVP page for a new website
• Create an MVP page

SOLUTION

How did you find Calder?

Professional Connection

Why did you select Calder over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• They donated their services

How many teammates from Calder were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Being a new charity organization, we needed a website created. Specifically, we needed an MVP page to be launched by August 27, 2023. Calder Solutions donated the cost of the project as a way to support the cause.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The team assigned by Calder is extremely professional and easy to work with. They stayed on top of the progress and deadlines, and launched the product (MVP page) by the date requested. Each individual team member demonstrated resourcefulness, attention to detail, creativity, adaptability, and great problem-solving skills. 

Overall, the team was extremely attentive to our goals and changes in the project, providing creative solutions and keeping timely communication. Fantastic experience!

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Our project team delivered each section and the whole product on time. The Project Manager was one step ahead at all times and provided clear communication and goal setting within the team.

What was your primary form of communication with Calder?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Calder Solutions is not just a company. They do things for a client as if they were doing it for themselves, that is providing the best quality and customer experience possible. Moreover, the project they did for us was 100% in-kind donation to support the mission of our grassroots nonprofit. 

This speaks volumes about the business and the person who is leading it, the Founder and CEO Justin. We are sincerely grateful to Justin and Calder Solutions for this meaningful relationship and for donating their services!

Are there any areas for improvement or something Calder could have done differently?

Everything was perfect. Great experience!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

OutsourcedIn is a custom solution to help companies take back control of their e-commerce business, our solution enables a manufacturer to have control and drive profitablitly. I am the President of OutsourcedIn.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Menklab, and what were your goals?

We needed a company that had the skill set to build out the software that would allow our solution to come together in a seamless way. Along with the expertise to fill in the gaps with the technology that would best serve what we set out to create. With the ongoing goal of having a technology partner for the long term.

The company needed to understand not only the technology, they needed to have a general understanding of how it would be used, while eliminating the complexities exist within e-commerce. With working in the budget that we set forth.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

A friend of mine gave me the introduction, so that helped with the start. After I had met them they truly understood what I was going after and trying to accomplish, which is very rare because what we are doing is something that is not understood very well and new. So that and the plan they laid out for me all solidified the deal for me.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Starting out we had several meeting to hone in what all needed to be done and talk through ideas. Once we had that honed in we went to discovery. That was about a 2 week process. They then delivered the basic frame work on how our solution would operate. After that they gave me the costing for the build out.

When I decided to move forward they then had a full roll out with their team. They gave me the basic framework around timing, and we had weekly, and bi-weekly deliverables. We also had bi-weekly meetings for them to present those milestones along the way.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There were in total probably around 10-12 people working on the project. Project lead handled all the communication and that was my direct contact. Then various lead developers, designers and others would come in with the different projects. Owner, VP, Project Manager, Development, Marketing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The overall project came out great and we have a solution that is extremely robust and meets the goals that we set out to achieve. I believe that what we created is better and well positioned for the future growth we are seeing. The project and software got better throughout the process in terms of scope.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Project manager had great communication, we used slack and email, she was always available and walked me through everything at each step. Very organized and had everything mapped out from the beginning and let me know as soon as a timeline was going to change even a little bit.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The entrepreneurial spirit that exists is very unique. They not only deliver at a high level they take the time to make sure the vision is in alignment with the technology being created.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I am having a hard time thinking of improvement as my company and their's worked so well together.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of custom woodworking and design business in Raleigh, NC. I am a single man operation, so I am in charge of marketing, furniture/project design, and fabrication of those designs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Menklab?

In order to separate my woodworking business from others in the area, I needed a website that stood apart from my competitors.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I was attempting to build my own website using Wix and was not getting the results I wanted. I searched professional help in wix and was provided with a list of professionals. After interviewing with a few of them, Menklab stood out as the most prompt in responding to questions and had previous projects that I really liked.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We had a series of meeting going through what I wanted the website design to look like. I provided color pallets, a very rough oultine of the webpages, and discussed the Mid-Century/Modern feel I wanted for the site. Over the course of the next few weeks, the provided me with multiple website layouts and I was able to pick and choose aspects from each layout that I liked.

Menklab combined all of the ideas into a uniform website. I was in charge of providing the language used on all the pages of the site wo to review and make final edits before my official website launch.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

In total, I think I worked with 4 individuals:

• Helen - Managing Director of Menklab UA
• Dmitry - Business Analyst
• Justin - CEO
• Kate - UA Business Development Manager.

There were probably others, but Helen, Dmytro, and Kate were who I had the most contact with.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

My website turned out exactly how I wanted. Additionally, Menklab designed the makers mark with I will be adding to all of projects I build. I could not be happier. I am biased, but my website looks to be more in line with large furniture companies than a one man, backyard operation.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I have never worked with a more responsive company in my life. Helen and Dmitry responded to my emails in less than 24 hours. In general we had one or two virtual meetings each week to go over the project. On top of that, in February of 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine which happened to be where Helen, Dmitry, and Kate lived. Even with all that going on, a meeting was never missed, emails were promptly responded, and the project was never delayed.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The people I worked with on this project were incredible. I provided Menklab with the overarching theme of the website and they made it real. The Menklab team brought their own unique ideas to the website design and was always willing to make the extra effort. For example, some of the photographs of previous projects i have made, were not professional looking. They made the effort to whiteout the backgrounds to give the site a more polished look. This was not discussed by me at the onset of this project, but Menklab did it anyways.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nothing. My project turned out better than I thought possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a childcare company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Menklab?

I wanted to be vertically integrated and less dependent on outside vendors for the different business functions that we need to operate the business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Menklab developed an app that serves as both a communication tool and a payment gateway. We started the engagement by conducting a review of our business processes and looking for areas where we could make improvements, implement efficiencies, and save money.

Menklab then started working on developing the app. It allows our teachers to record all of the important data from the children that they’re caring for, whether it be a diaper being changed, a feeding taking place, or the recordings of naptimes. It also allows parents to see how their kids are doing in real-time. The system also features a video camera system, which records all of the activities in the classroom.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with four people from Menklab.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere between $1,000,000–$1,500,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Menklab has come up with an all-encompassing software suite that meets all the needs of our business. Whereas before that, we needed to utilize either legacy systems or outside vendors, and now we’re vertically integrated from the inside. We went from paying an outside payment processor to creating our own payment gateway and platform, allowing us to save about $20,000–$25,000 per month. 

Aside from that, our customers are thrilled with the solution, and our teachers love it as well. It performs very efficiently and is very user-friendly.

How did Menklab perform from a project management standpoint?

Menklab has performed well in terms of project management. They communicate well and are very thorough in their work.

We typically communicate through Google Meet and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with Menklab’s ingenuity and entrepreneurial approach.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any complaints. Menklab has been a really good partner.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to ask them all of the questions that you have.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director Digital Product and Experience Design of Amway

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Amway is a Health and Wellbeing company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Calder Solutions to accomplish?

• Design new digital experience

SOLUTION

How did you find Calder Solutions?

Referral

Why did you select Calder Solutions over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Calder Solutions were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The Calder team has done a fantastic job engaging with stakeholders and end user to create a design that meets both business and user needs.  Their knowledge of both our business and design principles has made them an invaluable asset to us.  They have also helped push our thinking forward with experience innovation for this and other iniatives. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

TBD it is still ongoing 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They delivered on time and on budget. 

What was your primary form of communication with Calder Solutions?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They're dedicated to helping the team on work outside the assigned project.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Calder Solutions could have done differently?

no, excellent service